Форуми во заедницата

   Improvement of the environment was the topic discussed by the citizens of Cair at the second session of the Community Forums Programme which took place on Thursday June 19 at the Rajko Zhinzifov elementary school.

   In the forum, approximately 200 citizens underlined several environment-related problems present in the municipality of Cair.
   In addition to the citizens, also present at the session was Roman Derbele from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in Macedonia who underscored that forums such as the Community Forums Programme are very important in Switzerland, because citizens are not only citizens when they need to vote, but are citizens in the period between elections as well, and can take responsibilities too.
   „In this case citizens are able to offer their opinions on the selection of projects to be funded and implemented together with their representatives, the heads of their municipality. I am very surprised by the fact that here today there are much more people than in our municipality in Switzerland where similar projects are being implemented,” said Derbele.
   Most mentioned problems included park design, parking lots in certain settlements as well as redesigning of the school yard.
   „I think that these forums are excellent in that they let citizens present problems that they are faced with in the places where they live. This is my third time in this forum and I think I will continue to come until the end and naturally present our problems. We presented many problems but we focused to the projects related to the environment, infrastructure, sports fields, etc.,“ said Halide Paloshi, a teacher at the 7 Mart elementary school in the municipality of Cair.
   According to Paloshi, 7 Mart elementary is in a serious need for funding to redesign the school yard.
  „I’m pleased to take part in this forum and think the forums are excellent because they discuss the problems of our people and our places,” said Riza Ismaili, a citizen of Cair.
  Ten citizen groups were formed during the session, which will develop concepts for the projects identified at this Forum.
  The Community Forums Programme is implemented by the Open Society Institute Foundation Macedonia (OSIM), the Center for Institutional Development (CIRa), and the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC). The Programme is coordinated by the Forum Coordination Unit/ Consulting for Strategic Development, with actice involvement of the Association of Units of Local Self-Government (ZELS).